I want to use ZMA, to help me sleep at night. The problem is on the bottle it says not to use with Calcium. I guess Calcium would negate the effects of ZMA.

I eat my last meal around 10pm, which consists of 1 scoop of protein powder and 1 cup of cottage cheese(lot's of Calcium). If I took the ZMA at 12pm would that be OK? Anybody think the timing of this meal would negate the effects of ZMA? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Frontline

03-11-2005 05:29 PM

I've been using ZMA for a little over a month now. It does help me sleep a little and since its so cheap I'm going to continue using it. I have my last meal at about 10pm which also contains cottage cheese (calcium) and pretty much pop the ZMA between 12 and 1 am. As far as I can tell it doesn't do anything to stop the sleeping effects of ZMA, but I know the reason has to do with the absorbtion of one of the minerals. So i would say the 2 hr gap is good enough from my experience.

Snachito

03-12-2005 09:00 AM

Thank you Sleazy! I just want to get more bang for my buck, if you know what I mean. I just hope that the calcium isn't blocking the Magnesium uptake of my ZMA. I know cottage cheese is recommended for night time meal because it's slow digesting. So, I may lose some of the ZMA benefits by making cottage cheese my last meal. But, like you said Sleazy it's cheap!

slayer of souls

03-12-2005 08:13 PM

If you ingest Calcium and Zinc and Iron the body will prioritize the calcium over the other two. That is why sports nutritionists and most smart supplement companies advise athletes to take Iron and Zinc at a time when there is little or no calcium in the stomach. This goes for the Zinc containing supplement ZMA as well.

HOWEVER

"It appears unlikely that calcium per se has a negative effect on zinc absorption. We added calcium to cow’s milk formula to a level of ~1300 mg/L and found no significant difference in zinc absorption from the formula with the regular level of calcium (500 mg/L) through the use of radioisotopes in human adults and paired observations (Lönnerdal et al. 1984 ). Similarly, Spencer et al. (1984) and Dawson-Hughes et al. (1986) added large amounts of calcium to a meal and found no effect on zinc absorption in human adults. It also appears that the long-term use of calcium supplements has no effect on zinc status; Gambian women who were given 1000 mg calcium/d had plasma zinc concentrations similar to those of unsupplemented women (Yan et al. 1996 )."

From: Dietary Factors Influencing Z|nc Absorption

IMO 2 hours is to much time, I normally wait 30mins to an hour tops!!

Gary

03-15-2005 05:59 PM

How long do you guys take it before bed? I only take it like 20-30 minutes before I go to bed and I definately have noticed a difference. I used to lie in bed for at least 30-45 mins before I'd fall asleep, now it's almost instant and I never find myself waking up during the night anymore. There's no way it could be a placebo effect on my sleep lol? I love the stuff.

Frank Gillen

03-26-2005 06:19 PM

really?

ZMA helps you sleep? I used to take it a few years ago and never noticed that.

However, I always did take it right before bed, so I was tired anyway.

Snachito

03-27-2005 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Gillen

ZMA helps you sleep? I used to take it a few years ago and never noticed that.

However, I always did take it right before bed, so I was tired anyway.

I get the most restful night sleeps with this stuff. If I don't take it I get a real choppy nights sleep. The great thing about it is it's not expensive and fits well into my allotted supplement fund money.

apocalypse

04-06-2005 10:34 PM

Why not cook up something on your own that works like valium with out its side effects? I am just saying that because u are the full metal alchemist. :D

Snachito

04-07-2005 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apocalypse

Why not cook up something on your own that works like valium with out its side effects? I am just saying that because u are the full metal alchemist. :D

LOL! That doesn't sound like a bad idea Apoc!

Vetteman

04-07-2005 06:21 PM

I almost always have a glass of milk before bed. I've been taking ZMA for awhile and I it has definitely helped my sleep. Yes, even with milk.